I Know What I Want
by monzieslilneji
Summary: Since their earliest days they have despised eachother, so why the sudden change? '“S-Sasuke, what…what are you doing?” Naruto asked. Sasuke didn’t know either, but he could feel his heart pounding.' SASUNARU rated 'T' for fluff


**My Naruto Story 4**

As Naruto trained in the forest, he didn't realize that he was being watched. Sasuke hated Naruto for reasons unknown. He just hated the way he was always enthusiastic and believed in everybody around him. Sasuke hated the way he expressed his emotions all the time and rambled on about being Hokage someday. And most of all, Sasuke hated how unbelievably naïve Naruto was. In other words, Sasuke hated how stupid Naruto was.

Recently, Sasuke Uchiha had been watching Naruto Uzumaki. Finding out his strengths and weaknesses. Sasuke let out a soft snort as Naruto hurt himself practicing throwing kunai at a moving target. _**Jeezz, this kid just doesn't have a clue does he? He can't even sense that I'm here, and that is a basic thing to learn,**_ Sasuke thought as Naruto picked himself up and started training harder. Sasuke watched from above Naruto, in an old oak tree. He was sitting down and fiddling with a kunai in one hand and a shuriken in the other.

Sasuke was debating if he should throw them or not. Then his mind was made up when Naruto shouted in the air, "I CAN DO THIS! BELIEVE IT!" Sasuke stood up and hurled down the kunai and shuriken. The kunai hit the ground, millimeters away from Naruto's feet. He shouted and jumped back. Then the shuriken grazed his shoulder. He yelped and jumped into a tree. _**What a loser, he still doesn't know I'm here,**_ Sasuke thought as Naruto scanned the tree tops.

"Who's there?" Naruto called out. Sasuke didn't answer. "Who's there?" Naruto called again. When he didn't receive an answer, he put his hands together in a hand sign and shouted, "You asked for it, jerk! Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Ten clones appeared and they jumped in different directions, searching. Sasuke grunted in anger and amusement. He just watched as the clones jumped fast from tree to tree. They never even reached the tree Sasuke was in before the real Naruto called them back and they disappeared in a puff of smoke. "He left? What a bastard, if he wanted to fight, why did he run away like a scaredy cat?" Naruto said to himself.

Sasuke's anger flared. How can this fool call him a scaredy cat when he was just sitting there, waiting for Naruto to find him? Naruto still didn't sense him and his clones never did a full scale search. _**What a loser, he can't even protect himself properly. I could have killed him a long time ago if I wanted. No problem what so ever, just because he's such a baka.**_

But why didn't he kill Naruto? He despised him so much that it was unbelievable, yet he would come here and watch Naruto for hours. Why? What compelled him to sit there and watch Naruto's stupidity and tease him? His anger grew each time he saw the Uzumaki boy, so what was holding him back? Naruto is just a 16-year-old kid, no parents or relatives, no one would miss him. And Sasuke was sure that if he did the kill swift and fast, leaving no evidence behind, he wouldn't get caught.

Sasuke watched as Naruto picked up all his kunai and shuriken and sped off towards Konoha. Sasuke jumped from tree to tree and followed him. _**I bet you anything that he's going to go straight to Ichiraku's Ramen place, **_Sasuke thought to himself. He was right. Naruto entered Ichiraku's place moments after. Sasuke watched from a roof top as Naruto spent only a few minutes inside. Naruto wolfed down his food, paid, and left, heading for home.

Sasuke sighed, _**it would be just too easy to kill. His day is so predicable. That wouldn't be fun. Maybe I should change it for him.**_ Then Sasuke's mind whirled with ideas to make Naruto's death seem more fun and less noticeable. Sasuke jumped off after Naruto and stopped him just before he went in his house. "Hey, Naruto! Wait for a sec!" Sasuke called, jumping down from the roof. Naruto paused and turned to Sasuke.

"Huh? What do you want Sasuke?" he asked, scratching his head. Sasuke walked up to him and grinned a tiny grin. "You know, I heard that there were new ninjas in town, looking for talented, young shinobi. They watch shinobi about our age for our skill levels and to see how much we can do in a day," Sasuke said, pretending to be uninterested. "They take in groups. So that means," he had to go into further detail because Naruto's face had that 'I have no idea what you're talking about' expression. "that they watch for team work. If they see our group together, they will watch us and see how we work together. They also watch us individually, if you're interesting enough for them. So don't blow it, kay, loser?" Sasuke said, turning away and waving his hand.

"Who you calling a loser? I should say the same thing to you, Sasuke. Don't YOU slow ME down, got it?" Naruto shouted back. He ran inside his house and Sasuke smiled. He had won. Now, all he had to do was follow Naruto for the next few days and see if he made a pattern. If not, then it wouldn't matter, the more the difficulty to find him, the more fun it was.

"Good morning young ones. Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the path of life," Kakashi said from on top of a pole. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke looked up angrily at their sensei. "The HELL you got lost on the "Path of Life" Sensei! We need to train today and you aren't even here!" Naruto screamed. "You're three hours late, Sensei," Sakura said, hands on her hips and tapping her foot on the ground in annoyance. Kakashi Hatake just sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry kids, I can't help it. There's just things I gotta do before I get here," he said.

He jumped down from the pole and onto the bridge that was their usual meeting place. "And that's how things are, I'm afraid," Kakashi finished. Sasuke leaned back on the railing and stated in a loud voice, "Wonder if we can rely on you to train us anymore. We need to reach our full potential you know." Kakashi glanced at him, curious as to what this boy was talking about.

Naruto walked up to Kakashi with squinting eyes and arms crossed. "What can you teach us today sensei? I have other things to do, besides wait all day for you to show up." Sakura glanced at Naruto, _**It sounds like him, but since when does he have other things to do?**_ she thought. Kakashi was confused, _**Why are they all ganging up on me today?**_ Kakashi clapped his hands together and said cheerily, "We are going to practice taijutsu today!" Sakura smiled and turned to Sasuke. "Won't that be fun, Sasuke-Kun?" she asked. He looked away from her, "Pff, we already know Taijutsu, we _are_ 16," he said, more annoyed. Naruto threw his fist into the air, "I'm gonna beat you all! Believe it! And Lee won't stand a chance against me!" he yelled.

Kakashi grinned, or that's what it looked like. Sasuke glanced at Naruto and smiled thinly. He had really gotten to Naruto and made him believe that there were talent scouts out there. Sasuke thought, _**this is going to be fun.**_

Exhausted, the three companions trudged back into town. Naruto headed for Ichiraku's and Sakura turned to go home. "Later Sakura-Chan!" Naruto called out, waving his hand. He turned and ran to eat his beloved ramen. Sasuke shook his head. _**He's still so predictable. Did he already forget what I told him?**_

Sasuke followed him through the streets. When Naruto finished eating, he ran back to his special training spot, eager to better himself. Sasuke watched from above him once again. _**He's just doing the same thing he normally does. There is nothing different at all,**_ Sasuke thought, to his disappointment. But still, Sasuke sat there and watched the Uzumaki boy for hours.

Naruto paused during his training and looked up, into the trees. Sasuke's heart skipped a beat and he hid behind the tree. "Man, it's hot. Even at night time!" Naruto said to himself. Sasuke looked around the tree and saw that Naruto was taking off his jacket. His black shirt was fluttering slowly in the night breeze. Naruto closed his eyes and spread his arms out, "Ahh, feels much better!" he sighed. Sasuke came out from behind the tree and sat to watch Naruto once more.

Naruto kept training. He trained well into the night. Sasuke watched as Naruto fell to the ground, panting heavily and his shirt was sweat soaked. Sasuke's heart beat faster. He didn't know why, but he thought that it was because this was the perfect opportunity to kill him. Sasuke stood up and took out a kunai. He looked down at the ground, at Naruto and his rapid breathing. Naruto wiped his face and closed his eyes. His breathing started slowing down to its normal pace. Then, before he knew it, Naruto fell asleep, stretched out on the ground.

This was his chance. Sasuke jumped down beside Naruto and leaned over him. Naruto didn't wake up. Smiling, Sasuke held the kunai to Naruto's throat and pressed down gently. Sasuke's eyes widened and gleamed in excitement and amusement. Sasuke smiled as he saw a tiny stream of blood run down Naruto's neck. The sight of blood excited Sasuke. He was tempted to press down harder and was about to when Naruto woke up. Naruto's eyes shot open with pain and he gasped as he saw Sasuke leaning over him, kunai at his throat.

Naruto stiffened and didn't dare speak or move. Naruto's pale blue eyes were full of fear and confusion. _**What is he doing? Why is he doing this? **_Naruto thought wildly. His heart skipped a few beats when he saw Sasuke's evil smile. The look on his face seemed like he was enjoying Naruto's torture and fear. "What's wrong Naruto? Thought you always had something to say in every situation. Why do your words fail you now?" Sasuke said, taunting Naruto to speak.

Naruto lifted his hand to Sasuke's. Grabbing Sasuke's wrist he pushed him away with all his strength. Sasuke didn't move much, and he wasn't surprised that this was Naruto's reaction. Naruto jumped up and faced Sasuke. "What's wrong with you?" Naruto yelled, pressing a hand to his neck to stop the trickle of blood. Sasuke just laughed softly and stood up as well. Sasuke had a new found passion, a thrill. It was seeing fear in a person's eyes just as they are about to die.

"I like seeing pain," Sasuke said simply. Naruto's face was written with shock. "Don't tell me, Orochimaru's got you? Don't turn into Orochimaru or Itachi, Sasuke! You aren't them! Killing people is wrong and it's not the shinobi way!" Naruto said, disbelievingly. Sasuke laughed again, "You are so naïve, Naruto. That's another thing I hate about you. So stupid, you don't deserve to be called a shinobi. You always screw up. If it weren't for others, you would have died long ago," Sasuke said. He wanted Naruto to fight back, to make this more fun.

Naruto's eyes widened and for once, he didn't know what to say. Sasuke ran forward and grabbed Naruto by the throat and slammed him against a tree. Naruto fought back, but weakly. Naruto pulled out a kunai and reached for Sasuke's arm. Sasuke pressed on Naruto's throat and grabbed his arm. He held his arm against the tree and moved closer to Naruto's face. "You're worthless," he whispered menacingly into his ear. Naruto choked and tried to say something. Sasuke looked at Naruto's face and loved the way Naruto's eyes glared at him but his mouth showed how much pain he was in.

The pressure on his throat made the small cut open wider and bleed more. Sasuke could smell the blood that ran down his arm now. Naruto's free arm reached for his pouch. Sasuke noticed this and let go of his neck in order to grab that hand. He held that hand against the tree above Naruto's head. Naruto gasped for air, filling his lungs desperately. He coughed then looked up at Sasuke. Sasuke was grinning. "What…Why are you doing this Sasuke?" Naruto choked out. He felt the blood run down and soak into his shirt.

Sasuke laughed, "I already told you, fool." Naruto tried to push Sasuke's hands off of him. Sasuke wouldn't move. Unable to do anything, Naruto shot his head forward. His head and Sasuke's head connected and a loud crack echoed in the small clearing. Sasuke fell back, covering his forehead. He felt a headache coming on as he wiped the blood away. He smiled, this was becoming interesting.

Naruto came at him with a kunai in hand. Sasuke activated his sharingan and waited patiently for Naruto to attack. Naruto threw the kunai and then another. Sasuke dodged both then grabbed Naruto's fist just before it connected with his face. Naruto twisted free and placed his hands on the ground as he thrust his leg out. Sasuke brought his leg up to meet Naruto's. Sasuke then bent down and grabbed Naruto's hands, making him land on his shoulder in the dirt.

Thunder boomed in the distance as the two fought on. Naruto, for once, didn't say anything during this fight. But Sasuke started hesitating and pausing throughout the fight. Why _was_ he doing this? He looked at Naruto's stern face as he came at him. Sasuke couldn't react fast enough and Naruto's foot connected with Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke was then knocked off his feet when Naruto grabbed his ankles. Sasuke made hard contact with the ground. He closed his eyes as the wind was knocked from his lungs.

Naruto knelt on Sasuke, grabbing his dark blue shirt front. Naruto pulled Sasuke up and glared at him, "Listen kid, I've always thought that no matter how much we hated eachother, we were friends. I trusted you Sasuke, and you try to kill me? Sasuke, I never stopped dreaming of the day we could be nice to each other," Naruto said, trying desperately to make Sasuke see the error of his ways.

Sasuke's heart beat rapidly as he looked at Naruto. The blond boy had lost his head band at some point in the fight. His spiky hair flowed softly over his face. "Why … why do you hate me, Sasuke?" Naruto asked in a soft, sad voice. Sasuke started breathing fast, what was happening to him? He never felt this before! Sasuke started regretting everything he did. He turned his head to the side and looked at the ground. He felt blood from his lip run down his face.

_**Why am I being so selfish? **_Sasuke thought. He felt a cool hand brush the blood away from his lip. Naruto had released him and was trying to clean up the mess he had made. Sasuke looked up at Naruto. Naruto's face was etched in scratches and worry. His neck still bled heavily. Sasuke felt so guilty, he didn't know what to do. Naruto finished cleaning Sasuke's face, and tried to work on his own.

He turned away from Sasuke and pulled a bandage out from his shinobi pouch. "So, I guess you lied about the talent scouts too, huh?" Naruto said quietly. He started wrapping the bandage around his neck. His head was bowed and his shoulders sagged. Sasuke couldn't take it, he felt horrible. He sat up and walked over to Naruto. He knelt down beside him and took the bandage from him.

Naruto pulled away, afraid Sasuke would try to choke him to death again. Sasuke looked into Naruto's face with guilt written in his black eyes. Naruto paused then nodded and let Sasuke take the bandage. Sasuke gently wrapped it around his neck, trying his best to make it loose yet tight so it would stop the bleeding. Sasuke's onyx eyes were sad as he tied it off and stood up. "Listen, Naruto. I'm sorry, alright?" he said. He turned to walk back to Konoha.

He felt a firm grasp on his shoulder and looked back into Naruto's worried face. Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. Was Naruto going to do something? Naruto turned Sasuke to face him and he looked down. "Sasuke, why do you hate me?" Naruto asked silently. Sasuke's heart beat quickened and it was getting harder to breathe. "I…" Sasuke didn't know what to say to him. Naruto glanced up, keeping his head bowed. His big pale blue eyes had a puppy dog look to them. Sasuke took a step back; did he see tears?

Naruto turned away from Sasuke and went to pick up his coat. Sasuke stood still. Why did he feel like crying? He had hurt Naruto, he cut deep into the boys' heart, and he felt terrible for it. Naruto walked by him, slipping his arm into the sleeve of his coat. Naruto would not look at Sasuke. He just kept walking. Sasuke watched Naruto go. He didn't know what else to do. When Naruto was a little further away and had his coat zipped up, he broke out in a run.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out. He wanted to apologize, to make things right. Sasuke jumped after Naruto. He chased him through the forest. It was the middle of the night by the time Naruto stopped. He stopped by the river and was just staring into the water when Sasuke finally caught up with him. "Naruto," Sasuke said quietly, walking up behind him. Naruto shook his head, "I don't want to hear it Sasuke. You hate me, I get it. You're just like everyone else," he said. Naruto rubbed his eyes and walked away from Sasuke.

Sasuke reached out, reaching for Naruto's shoulder. Grabbing it, he swung the boy around. "Naruto, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean anything," he said as he looked into the tear stained face of Naruto. "You did, Sasuke. You always mean what you say. You're not stupid. And I know I'm not the brightest, but I _do_ get it." Sasuke let his hands fall as Naruto pulled away. Sasuke stared at the ground, and for the first time in his life, Sasuke felt completely useless and horrible. Naruto saw the look on Sasuke's face.

_**Did he really mean it when he said sorry? And that he didn't mean what he said earlier? **_ Naruto felt bad now, for making Sasuke, his best friend, sad. "You…want to train?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. Sasuke looked up, surprised. "Didn't…you just say…?" Sasuke was cut off. "Don't worry about it Sasuke. I believe you," Naruto muttered. Sasuke brightened up a little. "Yeah, I'll train with you," he said, trying to make amends. Naruto nodded and spread his legs, bracing himself for attack.

Sasuke did the same and he grinned. "Ready?" he asked. Naruto nodded. "GO!" Sasuke shouted. Naruto immediately locked hilt-to-hilt with Sasuke. Their kunai clashed together and sparks flew. "Whoa, not so hard Naruto!" Sasuke exclaimed. "It's just training!" Naruto grinned and pulled away, only to jump forwards again, "Yeah, that's what I'm doing. You know, those talent scouts want to see force," he said, sarcasm in his voice. Sasuke grinned and pushed back at Naruto, "You're right, full force," he said.

They fought for a good half hour, equally matched, before Naruto got the upper hand. He saw an opening and threw his arm into it. The hilt of the kunai met with Sasuke's ribs and he bent over. Naruto then grabbed Sasuke and tackled him down. Then Naruto jumped up and pressed his foot on Sasuke's stomach. "Heh, good…good fight," Naruto said, out of breath. Sasuke grinned and panting he laid his head back. "You win, Naruto," he said, equally out of breath. Naruto lifted his foot from Sasuke and turned away. He bent over to brush dirt from his pants.

Sasuke looked up and kicked his leg out. It made contact with Naruto's ankles just as he turned back to Sasuke. Sasuke smiled as he saw Naruto's surprised look as he fell. What Sasuke didn't expect was for Naruto to fall on _him._ Naruto fell onto Sasuke hard. When Naruto finally looked up from his position on Sasuke, he saw that Sasuke was just blushing a deep red and his heart was pounding.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry Sasuke!" Naruto said. He pushed himself up and propped himself on his arms over Sasuke. He looked down into Sasuke's red face. "Sasuke? What's wrong?" Naruto asked, worried. Sasuke glared at Naruto, "Can you move your leg, please," he said curtly. Not only was he in pain, but he couldn't stand to see Naruto's face so close to his own. Whenever it was that close, Sasuke's heart beat wildly. Naruto looked down and saw where his knee was. Naruto blushed a deep red; he knew how much that hurt. Naruto moved off of Sasuke and knelt beside him. "Sorry Sasuke," he said, looking down. Sasuke laughed shortly and sat up. "Don't worry bout it," he said, turning himself to lie on his stomach.

Sasuke laid his head on his arms and took deep breaths. It still hurt. Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder. "You know, if it makes you feel any better, it's happened to me too," he said smiling and blushing. Sasuke's laugh was muffled by his arms. Naruto rubbed his head and laughed too. Then Naruto fell to his back beside Sasuke. He slid out of his coat and made it into a blanket and laid it over his stomach. He placed his arms behind his head and stared up at the starry sky.

Sasuke looked over at him. Naruto always looked so carefree, so happy. Sasuke sat up and looked down at Naruto. "What is it, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, looking over at him. Sasuke blushed softly and looked away, "Nothing," he said quietly. He thanked god for the darkness to hide his blush. Naruto sat up. "Do you want to train more?" Naruto asked, trying to find out what was wrong. Sasuke shook his head, "Never mind Naruto, it's nothing," he said. He stood up and walked to the water.

Naruto watched as Sasuke took off his shirt and shoes and dove into the water. Sasuke surfaced, shivering in the fresh water. Even though it was freezing, it felt great to be clean. Naruto laughed and stood up to join Sasuke. He stripped off his shirt, pants and shoes then ran to the waters edge, wearing his green boxers. He stuck his toe in the water and pulled back, "How can you be in there!? It's like ice berg water!" Naruto said in amazement. Sasuke smiled, "I'm strong." Naruto's face hardened and he dove into the water after Sasuke.

Naruto surfaced beside Sasuke and splashed him. "Hey!" he yelled, wiping the water from his eyes. He could hear Naruto's laugh and a splash as he went underwater again. Sasuke re-opened his eyes and looked around. Naruto was no where to be seen. Sasuke activated his sharingan and tried again. He saw Naruto sitting at the bottom of the shallow river just a little ways off. Sasuke smiled and dove underwater.

He swam for Naruto and smiled as Naruto swam away. _**We haven't played like this since forever, **_Sasuke and Naruto thought. Their thoughts were so similar, and they both smiled. Naruto turned to face Sasuke. Sasuke was caught by surprise and couldn't stop. He bumped into Naruto. Their torsos brushed and Naruto reached for Sasuke's arm. Sasuke looked down at the boy beneath him. Naruto was grinning as he grabbed Sasuke's arm. Sasuke was confused but soon found out what Naruto was doing. Naruto had put Sasuke in a headlock under water and was giving him a noogie. Sasuke smiled and tried to reach for Naruto behind him but Naruto had wrapped his legs around Sasuke's waist and had captured his arms.

Sasuke looked up at the smiling Naruto. He had let Sasuke go and was just floating there in the water, a huge, victorious grin on his face. Sasuke's heart jolted when he saw his face. Naruto looked so cute, but why was he thinking this? Sasuke blushed and turned away. He kicked his legs and sent himself to the surface. He gasped for air and started swimming to shore. He heard Naruto surface behind him, "Oi! Sasuke, where you going?" he called out.

Sasuke kept swimming. When he could touch the bottom again he stood up and started walking, splashing through the water. The waves came up behind him and were calm as they rolled past him. Sasuke turned to look behind him and was met with Naruto's body. Naruto jumped on Sasuke and tackled him. They were half in the water and half out. Sasuke lay on the wet sand completely dazed; Naruto had hit him hard. Naruto was sitting on Sasuke's stomach and laughing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry, didn't mean to hit you so hard. I kinda tripped at the last second," he said, still laughing. He reached his arms up and put them behind his head. His blush was covered by the darkness. Sasuke propped himself up on his elbows and blushed madly. "Naruto, do you know how bad this position looks right now?" he asked. Naruto looked down at Sasuke, "Huh?" he asked. "You're so naïve, Naruto," Sasuke said. Naruto just tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed Naruto back. Sasuke flipped him over into the sand and sat on top of Naruto.

"Now try and tell me that this doesn't look awkward," Sasuke said, looking down at Naruto's shocked expression. Sasuke could tell by the faint light of the stars and the moon that Naruto was blushing. Sasuke smiled, "I thought so," he said. Naruto reached up and grabbed at Sasuke's ribs, expecting to tickle him. Sasuke looked down in satisfaction, "I'm not ticklish like I used to be Naruto. That won't make me get off of you." Naruto frowned. "That's not fair, Sasuke," he said, sounding annoyed.

Sasuke laughed, "It doesn't have to be." He grabbed Naruto's hands and pinned them down. "S-Sasuke, what…what are you doing?" Naruto asked. Sasuke didn't know either, but he could feel his heart pounding. "Do you know why I told you this position was wrong?" Sasuke asked. Naruto blushed softly but shook his head a little. Sasuke blushed too as he bent down closer to Naruto's face. Sasuke whispered in his ear, "It's because I can do anything to you from this position, whether you like it or not." Naruto's eyes widened as he asked, "L-like what?" Sasuke sat up again and raised an eye brow. "Hmm, well I could…make you tell me your darkest secret by hitting your forehead countless times," he said. Naruto gasped a little but then remarked, "Yeah, but you'd need a free hand for that," he sighed, thinking he was safe.

"Hah, yeah you're right. Well…I could always…" he paused, thinking of an idea. His heart beat quickened as he came up with one. "I could always do this," he whispered as he leaned down to Naruto's shocked face. Sasuke gently kissed Naruto's cheek and pulled away. He laughed when he saw that Naruto's face flushed a dark red. Sasuke's still wet hair dripped down his shoulders and onto Naruto's stomach as he sat on Naruto, not moving.

"S-Sasuke…" Naruto started. Sasuke released Naruto's hands and sat up straight. He looked up to the sky, "It's going to be dawn soon. Might as well go home and get as much sleep as we can, huh?" Sasuke said. Naruto held a hand to the cheek that Sasuke kissed and didn't say anything. Sasuke stood up and held out a hand to Naruto. Naruto took it slowly and stood up.

Naruto turned away from Sasuke and walked back to his clothes. He started pulling on his pants when Sasuke stopped him. "What's wrong Naruto?" he asked, grabbing Naruto's shoulder. Naruto turned to Sasuke, his pants undone. "Sasuke, you confuse me," he stated. Sasuke looked at Naruto with a confused expression. Naruto looked down and pulled away from Sasuke. "Naruto…" Sasuke started. Naruto shook his head and turned to do up his pants. He reached down for his shirt but Sasuke caught his arm.

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke. Sasuke had a straight face and looked like he was mad. Naruto's heart beat rapidly. _**He's so close, **_he thought. Naruto looked away and reached for his shirt again. Sasuke let Naruto's arm go. He stood there and watched as Naruto grabbed his shirt, coat and shoes then turned towards Konoha and started walking away. Sasuke's heart beat uncontrollably and Sasuke felt like it had dropped through the bottom of his stomach. "Naruto," he called, when Naruto was a few yards away. Naruto paused but didn't look back.

"Naruto, wait," Sasuke said. He grabbed his shirt and shoes then ran after Naruto. Naruto started walking away again. "Naruto!" Sasuke called. Naruto broke into a run as well. He slipped on his shirt while he was running. "Don't Sasuke!" Naruto called over his shoulder. Sasuke slowed down to a jog. _**Don't? He doesn't…want to see me?**_ Sasuke thought as he stopped where he was and watched the blond boy turn into a tiny speck as he ran further and further away. Sasuke's heart dropped.

"I confuse him?" he asked himself as he continued walking home. A thought occurred to him and he ran into the forest. Reaching the clearing where they had fought before, Sasuke searched for Naruto's headband. Finding it, he picked it up and stared at it. Naruto was so proud of it. He took good care of it and always fiddled with it, like he was trying to show it off to others.

Sasuke smiled. He didn't _hate_ Naruto. He just thought he did. No, really, Sasuke loved him, like a brother. No, like the close and best friend that he is. Sasuke gripped Naruto's headband tightly. Sasuke started walking back home again. He never bothered to put his shirt on.

He reached his empty home and threw Naruto's headband on his bed. Sasuke undressed and had a long hot shower. He stood there and let the water flow over his face. He was staring down at the floor as he remembered his recent memories of Naruto. Being underwater and brushing against his well built torso. Sasuke scowled and turned off the water. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He walked to his room, soaking wet and paused in the door way.

Naruto was sitting on Sasuke's bed, holding his headband. Naruto looked up at Sasuke. "Sorry I kinda barged in. I couldn't find my headband in the forest so I thought that maybe you picked it up," Naruto said, unsmiling. He was still wearing his black shirt which was wet, probably from his swim in the river. Sasuke stood still, disbelieving. "I thought you didn't want to see me," Sasuke said, more confused then ever. Naruto stood up and tied his headband back on. "You're right, Sasuke, I don't want to see you," he said.

Naruto looked at Sasuke's straight face, still dripping wet from his shower. Naruto grinned, "Can't you take a joke? Jeezz, you're too serious sometimes. Lighten up, won't you?" Naruto said, rubbing his head. Sasuke's anger flared up again. He could punch Naruto so hard right now. Naruto sensed Sasuke's anger and backed up, "Look, I'm sorry alright! I was confused just a while ago, and I still am. I just figured that you could use a smile. Apparently I'm no good at that either," Naruto said quickly.

Sasuke brushed hair out of his face and stepped towards Naruto. Wide-eyed, he backed up. "I said I'm sorry!" he said, holding his hands infront of him. "What about me confuses you?" Sasuke asked, stepping closer to Naruto. Naruto stiffened and didn't move. He had hoped that Sasuke wouldn't remember that part. "N-nothing…" he said, looking away from Sasuke's cold black eyes.

Sasuke stepped closer to Naruto. Now he was only an arms length away from him. "You said 'Sasuke, you confuse me' at the river. Those are your exact blunt words. What did you mean?" Sasuke asked. He stepped a little closer to Naruto. Naruto looked up at Sasuke and backed away again. "Nothing, Sasuke, just nevermind alright?" Sasuke reached for Naruto's arm. Naruto took another step backwards but he backed into a wall. Sasuke smiled, his plan to corner the boy had worked.

Naruto looked behind him then at Sasuke quickly. Sasuke advanced on Naruto. Naruto stiffened as Sasuke came centimeters away from his face. Naruto closed his eyes and tilted his head away, hoping that this was just a nightmare. He pushed out his arms, hoping to push Sasuke away enough so he could escape. Sasuke pinned Naruto's arms against the wall. Naruto gasped and opened his blue eyes to see Sasuke's black ones.

Naruto tried to pull back, away from Sasuke. "Why…do I confuse you, Naruto?" Sasuke whispered into Naruto's ear. Naruto's heart beat quickened and throbbed in his chest. It felt like it was in his throat. Naruto pushed Sasuke off of him and shouted, "Because of this, Sasuke! One minute, you get a curse mark and you hate everybody. Then the next minute, you call me your best friend, and then you try to kill me. And all of a sudden you're my best friend again?! Make up your mind, do you hate me or not?!" Naruto was almost in tears. He turned away from Sasuke and walked over to his window.

Sasuke stood there in a shocked silence. Unable to say anything as Naruto slid open his window and jumped out side. Naruto glanced back only once at Sasuke before he jumped into the distance towards his house.

The only sound in the empty bedroom was the soft dripping of water onto the cold wood floor, which came from Sasuke. He was stock still, still staring out his window in disbelief of what Naruto had just said, _Do you hate me or not?_ Sasuke knew the answer, but why couldn't he say it?

As Sakura waited on the bridge alone she wondered where the others were. Sasuke was normally the first one here everyday, yet he was late. And Naruto usually came late, but not _this_ late. _**I wonder what could have happened. Are they alright?**_ She jumped as she heard someone behind her. She spun around to see Sasuke's depressed face. "Sasuke-Kun? You're incredibly late, is everything alright?" she asked. Sasuke looked away and his cheeks turned a soft pink. "Forget about it, it's none of your business," he replied. He leaned against the bridge railing as Sakura stood there in amazement. _**Did Sasuke just BLUSH?! Is he sick? A fever maybe?! **_Sakura panicked. _**What if he's not feeling well, should I heal him? What if he was thinking about some girl? Oh my god, that's it. He met up with a girl last night! **_ Sakura glanced at Sasuke.

He looked normal but the air around him seemed a little more heavy and intense than usual. _**No, that can't be it. He wouldn't be depressed if he met a girl, **_she thought. _**It has to be some thing big though, for him to act like this. **_Just then, Kakashi appeared from nowhere and said his normal 'I got lost on the path of life' excuse. Then he paused and looked around, "Where's Naruto? He's normally the first one to yell at me for being late," he said. Sakura shook her head, "I have no idea, Kakashi-Sensei. He just never showed up this morning." Kakashi glanced at Sasuke who only shrugged his shoulders.

"So no one knows where the 'number one knuckled headed, first to pick a fight, ninja' is? I find that somewhat hard to believe," Kakashi said, jumping down from his pole. "Did anyone see him last night?" he asked. Sakura shook her head and Sasuke paused but then shook his head slowly. Kakashi noticed his pause. "I see. Sakura, can you go check his house? I'm sure that he probably just slept in," he said. Sakura nodded and ran off.

Kakashi grabbed Sasuke and dragged him to the opposite side of the bridge. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Sasuke cried out. "Shush, I know you know something. So you," Kakashi set Sasuke infront of a training post, "are going to tell me what you know," Kakashi finished happily.

"I don't know anything," Sasuke said, looking away. "Can we just train now? Forget the loser, we don't need him," Sasuke said. He turned to leave but was then caught in a tight wire around the training post. "We _are_ training, dear Sasuke. I'm training you to tell the truth," Kakashi said, holding the end of the tight wire. "Then, as training, I must learn to keep my mouth shut. How do I know you're not an enemy," Sasuke stated. He glared at Kakashi from his tight prison.

Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke, you know what's going on here. Can't you just play good boy for one day?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head and the wire around his body tightened. He winced and tried to pull lose. His wire cut into his skin but did not loosen. If anything, Kakashi just pulled tighter. Sasuke leaned his head back against the post and he laughed. "What is so funny, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "You," Sasuke said quietly, getting himself under control.

"Why me?" Sasuke just glared at Kakashi. "I have a high pain tolerance. You think a bunch of wire is going to make me say anything? To me, it's just something holding me down. There's no real threat behind it what so ever," Sasuke said in a low voice. Kakashi dropped the wire and sighed, "You're right. You're too analytical, just like you're father used to be," Kakashi said as Sasuke freed himself. Sasuke snorted and jumped on top of the training post. He looked in the direction of Konoha, waiting for Sakura to return with news of Naruto.

Kakashi jumped up on a pole beside him. After a few tense and silent moments, Kakashi finally gave in, "So what _did_ happen last night, between you and Naruto?" Sasuke shook his head. "He's confused," was all he said. Kakashi nodded. _**That will have to do, I'm not going to get much else from him**_, he thought. Then they stood there in silence and waited for Sakura's return.

"Come on, Naruto! You have to come train with us! How will you learn anything if you stay cooped up inside?" Sakura had been trying to persuade Naruto to come out for the last 20 minutes. "Forget it Sakura. I can wait till Ero-Sennin comes back and takes me away again for two and a half years," he said bluntly. His mouth sounded full, like he was eating. Then Sakura got an idea. "You know, Naruto. If you never come out of your room, you will never be able to have Ichiraku's ramen ever again." There was a long pause, then Naruto's short reply, "I can have it delivered." Sakura screamed in frustration. "Naruto! If you don't come out here on your own, I'm coming in to get you myself. And once I have you, I'll drag you to the others by your ears, you got that?!" she yelled.

There was a long pause and no reply. She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Ok, Naruto, you asked for it!" she yelled. She stepped back and threw her weight forward. She was about to make contact with the door when it flew open. She fell inside Naruto's room. Naruto stood infront of her, shirtless. "You can't wait for an answer, can you?" Naruto asked. He slid on a fresh black shirt and then his coat. She glared at him, "That was a dirty trick, you little bastard," she mumbled. Naruto smiled and held out his hand to her, "Let's go," he said.

Sakura mumbled the whole way back to the bridge, vowing that she would get him back. Naruto had his hands behind his head as he walked happily beside her. She glanced at him, "What's got you in such a fine mood, Naruto?" she asked. He glanced at her with his big blue eyes. "I dunno, I just feel like being happy today, I guess," he said. He grinned at her. For some reason, her heart did flips in her chest whenever she saw his grin. She looked away and kept walking in silence. She never noticed the bandage around his neck and Naruto was grateful; he wouldn't know how to explain it to her.

They reached the bridge and Sasuke and Kakashi came to meet them. "Naruto, why are you so late?" Kakashi asked. "I felt like sleeping in today," Naruto said, still smiling. Sakura rolled her eyes and Sasuke wouldn't look at Naruto what so ever. Kakashi sighed, "Well, better late than never, right? Let's get started. More taijutsu today, kids," he said quietly.

Kakashi noticed throughout the training that the normal competitiveness between Sasuke and Naruto had ceased. They weren't even glaring at eachother like they normally do. Kakashi started worrying. He pulled Sakura aside and asked if she had noticed anything strange about them. "The fact that Sasuke wasn't here first is what really bugs me," she said. Kakashi nodded. Today, the full moon must've turned the tides at the wrong time. Things were definitely messed up today.

Naruto never rambled on about being Hokage or liking ramen, not even on how hungry he was or how annoying Sasuke was. He never even glanced at Sakura or complimented her like he normally does. Sasuke never said rude things to Naruto, never tried his best today, and he didn't even glance at Sakura when she fell right into his lap during training. He had helped her up and walked away.

Today was defiantly an un-lucky day. When training had finally finished, Naruto went straight home and wanted to shower. Sakura went home to avoid all the weirdness of the day. Kakashi went to read the latest Icha-Icha paradise book from Jiraiya and Sasuke, well, was being Sasuke. Naruto hopped into the shower and went to turn on the water when it sprayed out then turned off. "Jeezz, can't a guy get clean in his own home?" Naruto muttered as he pulled on his black shirt and orange pants. He left his home and went to his neighbors, "Hey, you got any running water?" he asked. They shook their head, "Sorry, I think the water was turned off for today. You'll have to talk to Hokage-Sama for more information."

Naruto sighed and walked to the river. He didn't feel like bothering with anyone today. He stripped down to his boxers and stepped into the cool water. He splashed the water onto his face and he slowly remembered his previous night. "Ugh, this is stupid," he said. He dove into the water and sat on the bottom. He watched fish go by infront of him. Under the water, it always seemed so calm and peaceful. He wanted to stay there forever, because you can't talk underwater_**I won't get hurt by anyone's words if I stay down here**_ he thought. Sadly, dreams are only dreams. He had to breathe.

He kicked off the bottom and surfaced. He dove back down and swam towards shore. When he could reach the bottom, he started walking. He stood waist deep in the water as he stared at the shore. Sasuke stood there. "What…what do you want?" Naruto asked. Sasuke didn't say a word. He stripped down to his boxers too and walked in towards Naruto.

"St-stay away from me," Naruto said, backing up. "I don't know if your going to kill me or not." Sasuke scowled and moved closer to Naruto. "AH! It was a joke! Lighten up! Jeezz!" Naruto said, trying to get around Sasuke. Sasuke grabbed his arm and pulled Naruto closer. Naruto yanked away from his grasp and dove underwater, deeper into the river. Sasuke dove after him. Naruto swam around a rock and disappeared from sight. Sasuke followed but when he got around the rock, he saw nothing but open water. He looked down and saw a small tunnel. _**That must be where he went, **_Sasuke thought.

He dove down after him. Pulling at the walls of the small tunnel to propel himself faster. When he was finally free of the cramped space, he found himself in an air pocket the size of a small cave. Sasuke pulled himself out of the water and onto the small shelf of rock. He looked behind him and saw a small opening. He stood up and walked over to it. Ducking inside, he soon found himself inside another small, cave like room. And there, he saw Naruto. He was drying his hair and sitting on a rock, turned away from Sasuke.

Naruto obviously found this place long ago because it had spare clothes littering the floor and books and scrolls scattered everywhere. Towels, blankets and pillows lined the far wall of the cave. Sasuke looked around in amazement at the cave. He wondered when Naruto had found this, and how he had got everything here. Sasuke looked back down at Naruto, who hadn't noticed Sasuke yet.

Naruto stood and reached for a pair of pants, the towel covering his head. Naruto pulled one leg through and was pulling the other leg through when he looked up and saw Sasuke standing there. Naruto gasped and lost balance. He crashed to the floor, scrolls and papers flying everywhere. Sasuke ran forward, "You ok?" he asked, kneeling down to help Naruto clean up. Naruto was sitting on the ground, pants half on. "What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

He stood up and pulled his pants on all the way. He knelt down beside Sasuke and picked up the papers and scrolls that littered the ground. "I followed you in here. It's amazing, when did you find this place?" Sasuke asked, helping Naruto pick up his things. Naruto snatched the papers from Sasuke and stood up. "I found it when I was a kid," he said shortly, organizing everything and setting it down on a long flat rock. _**He must use that as a table**_, Sasuke thought. He shivered. The cave was cold and while he's wet, it didn't make a good mix.

Naruto noticed Sasuke and reached for another towel. He threw it at Sasuke, "Here, you'll need this if you don't want to catch a cold," he said shortly. "Why the cold shoulder?" Sasuke asked, drying himself off. Naruto didn't look at Sasuke, but he paused. "Sasuke, what's wrong with you? Why did you follow me here?" he asked. Sasuke started drying his hair off. "I need to talk to you, but whenever I try, you run away," he said. He pulled the towel off of his head and jumped back. Naruto was in his face.

"Then talk," Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke's arm. Sasuke shivered at the cold look in Naruto's pale eyes. Naruto turned away and shuffled through the stacks of clothes. He pulled out a pair of white shorts that looked similar to Sasuke's original ones. Naruto also pulled out one of his own black shirts that he normally wears under his coat. He handed them to Sasuke. "This will keep you warm," he said, looking away. Naruto pulled out a few pillows and a blanket. He laid the blanket on the stone cave floor and placed the pillows beside eachother. Naruto sat on one while he waited for Sasuke.

Sasuke pulled on the clothes and sat infront of Naruto. "Talk. I'm not going anywhere," Naruto said, sitting straight and still drying his hair off. Sasuke paused, what should he say? He looked at Naruto's shirtless body. He noticed how muscular Naruto really was. Sasuke looked up and noticed the bandage around his neck. The blood appeared to be soaking through. Naruto looked up at Sasuke as he stood. Sasuke scanned the shelves for bandages. Seeing some he walked over and grabbed them. "What are you doing?" Naruto asked. Sasuke walked back to Naruto and knelt beside him.

Naruto held still as Sasuke undid his bandaging and cleaned his neck. Naruto winced; it still kind of hurt. Sasuke paused, "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to give you such a nasty wound. I wasn't…in my right mind," he thought back to the previous day, when he had pressed the kunai to Naruto's throat. Naruto just blinked at Sasuke, "You still feel bad for that? It's the past Sasuke. Forgive and forget," he said quietly. Sasuke started bandaging the wound again.

"Listen, Naruto. I don't mean to confuse you. I never ever meant to hurt you. You really are my best friend. If you don't forgive me, I understand," Sasuke said, tying off the bandage. Sasuke stood and turned away. Sasuke started stripping down again. He folded Naruto's clothes and left them sitting on the floor. He walked through the small hallway and into the first small cave. He walked to the waters edge and was about to jump in when he felt a warmth on his back. He looked behind him and saw Naruto, leaning forward on him.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's middle tightly. "N-Naruto?" Sasuke asked. He lifted his arms and tried to turn. Naruto let go briefly. When Sasuke turned to face him, Naruto caught him in a fierce hug. "I forgive you Sasuke. It's not like I could say no to you anyways," he whispered. Sasuke looked down at the Uzumaki boy. His messy blond hair pressed against his skin. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto, grateful for the warmth.

"Don't go, Sasuke," Naruto muttered. "What?" Sasuke asked, pulling away from Naruto. Naruto looked up into Sasuke's eyes. His blue eyes bright with pleading. "Don't go, don't leave. If you leave, you might not come back…" Naruto said, looking away. Sasuke smiled and grabbed Naruto's chin. Naruto looked up into Sasuke's warm, black eyes. "I always come back, Naruto," he said softly. Naruto blushed and lifted his hand to Sasuke's face.

Naruto placed his hand at the back of Sasuke's neck and pulled him down. Surprised, Sasuke couldn't say no. He closed his eyes and leaned down, meeting Naruto's lips with his own. Sasuke's heart beat was rapid and was making it difficult for him to breathe. He didn't care. He felt Naruto start to pull away. Sasuke opened his eyes and looked down into Naruto's red face. "I can't believe I just did that!" Naruto said, pushing away from Sasuke. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arms and pulled him closer again, "Believe it," he muttered.

Their lips met again. He felt Naruto wrap his arms around his neck. Sasuke wrapped one arm around Naruto's waist and the other hand rested on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Naruto could feel the warmth of Sasuke's breath. He loved it. He could feel the tightness of his grasp. He loved it. He felt like Sasuke's arms were the only thing holding him up. His knees were shaking and felt like they could give out at any moment. Naruto moved his arms down from Sasuke's neck to his upper arms.

He could feel the tense muscles underneath Sasuke's soft skin. Naruto pulled away slowly. He opened his pale eyes and looked at Sasuke's blushing face. Sasuke opened his eyes and saw Naruto staring at him. Naruto smiled and leaned on Sasuke. Sasuke hugged Naruto close to his body. "Sasuke?" he asked softly. "Yeah?" Sasuke looked down at the top of Naruto's head. Naruto looked up, chin resting on Sasuke's chest. "Sasuke, do you love me?" he asked. Shocked, Sasuke pulled back. Naruto paused, a looked of pure sadness in his eyes.

Sasuke had to fix this quick, "Naruto, that's the dumbest question I've ever heard," he said. Naruto pulled away, _**so I don't mean anything to him then…**_ he thought. Naruto looked down sad. Sasuke, realizing his mistake pulled Naruto closer, "You should know the answer to that question, stupid," he said. He put a finger underneath Naruto's chin and lifted it up. Naruto looked at Sasuke in confusion, "Sasuke?" Sasuke shushed his question with a small kiss.

"Of course I love you, you idiot," he whispered silently. Naruto smiled, "Thank you, Sasuke," he said quietly. Naruto's eyes closed and he nearly dropped to his knees. Sasuke caught him and cradled the boy in his arms. Smiling, Sasuke walked back into the back room. He laid Naruto on the blanket that was on the ground and slipped a pillow under his head, and then he walked over to the shelves and grabbed a second blanket. He walked back to Naruto and wrapped the blanket around his small frame.

Standing up, Sasuke looked down at the small boy sleeping soundly on the floor. Sasuke backed away slowly, not wanting to wake Naruto up. He slipped through the hallway and into the front room once again. Sasuke sat down on the rock ledge and dipped his legs into the cool water. _**And to think that yesterday I wanted to kill him,**_ he thought to himself. He sighed and leaned his head back. He starred at the ceiling for a while. He closed his eyes tiredly. He opened them and fell to the ground. Naruto had stuck his head over Sasuke's vision. "You ok?" he asked, helping Sasuke to sit up again.

Sasuke nodded and turned to Naruto. "I thought you were asleep?" he asked. He saw that Naruto had brought the blanket with him. It was wrapped around his shoulders. "Well, I was nearly asleep, but I heard you sigh and I heard the water splashing," he explained. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up," Sasuke muttered. Naruto sat down beside Sasuke. "Don't worry about it," he said.

They sat there in the silence, listening to the water lapping softly against the ridge where they sat. "How did you find this place?" Sasuke finally asked. Naruto smiled, "I was nearly drowning during an experiment of mine. I fell to the bottom of the river and the currents were too strong for me then. They carried me to the hole and I grabbed it as my last desperate act. I noticed the hole and swam into it," he explained. Sasuke remembered that day. Naruto had walked into Konoha absolutely drenched. Naruto had walked up to Sasuke and started explaining in excitement about what had happened to him. Sasuke hadn't listened to a word he had said.

_**Just another thing to feel bad about**_, he thought as he watched Naruto. "How did you get everything down here? Your clothes and the blankets?" Sasuke asked. Naruto smiled and said, "Let me show you." He stood up and walked back into the main cave. In a dark corner where nothing was, Naruto stood on tip toe and pushed on the roof. It slid open silently, not making a sound. Looking up, Sasuke saw nothing but pitch black nothingness. "What is it?" he asked. Naruto climbed up and held down a hand for Sasuke. Sasuke took it and let Naruto pull him up.

Naruto fumbled in the darkness for a few moments before Sasuke could hear a match striking. The small space lit up and Sasuke found himself in a wooden hut of some sort. "This is the tool shed on the other side of the river. The one that's abandoned? I rented a small boat for a day and I moved everything out here and stuffed it down this hole. That's how I get in and out too, when I don't feel like getting wet," Naruto explained quietly.

Sasuke smiled; Naruto could be a very smart kid when he tries. Sasuke reached over and ruffled the blond boys' hair. "Good job, Naruto. I'm impressed," Sasuke whispered. Naruto grinned happily. Getting a comment like that from Sasuke meant a lot. "YEOWCH!!" he said loudly as the match burnt down to his finger. The hut was enclosed in darkness again. Naruto jumped down into the cave again and Sasuke followed.

When Sasuke got down, he looked at Naruto. He stuck his finger in his mouth. "It hurts," he muttered past his finger. Sasuke laughed at Naruto's childishness. "It's not funny Sasuke! It really does hurt!" Naruto said, pulling the finger from his mouth. Naruto stormed off to the front cave and stuck his finger in the cool water. Naruto sighed and pulled his finger away. He stood up and turned around, only to stare at Sasuke's still bare chest. Naruto looked up into Sasuke's stern face.

"What?" Naruto asked, backing up. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and examined Naruto's blistering finger. "Wow, you must have burnt it bad," Sasuke said. "I told you it hurt!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke hugged Naruto, "I know, I'm sorry," he said softly. Naruto pulled away and walked back into the main cave. He went to the shelves in the back and pulled out a tiny jar. He opened it and handed it to Sasuke. Sasuke took it and smelled it curiously. It smelled sweet. It had a mint and vanilla smell. Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"It's a healing ointment that Hinata gave me a while ago," he explained. He held out his finger, his body language asked for Sasuke to help. "Heh, ok," Sasuke said. He sat down on the floor and Naruto did the same, still holding out his finger. Sasuke looked into Naruto's face when he was done and Naruto looked so happy. He was grinning his huge grin and was laughing softly. "Thanks Sasuke. You're a big help," he said. Sasuke blushed and stood up. He turned away and walked to the front cave once again. "Sasuke?" Naruto called after him.

Sasuke dove into the water and surfaced. He saw Naruto coming into the small cave. "Where are you going Sasuke?" he asked, walking to the waters edge. Sasuke looked up into Naruto's face and smiled. "It's about time we head back. Our clothes are still sitting out there on the beach," he said. Naruto nodded, "Wait here," he said. He disappeared into the hallway, only to re-emerge a few moments later. He had put the blanket back and took off his pants. He dove into the water near Sasuke. Sasuke could feel a pull on his ankles.

Sasuke dove down after Naruto and followed him through the tight tunnel once again, into the open river water. Naruto kicked off the bottom and sent himself to the surface. Sasuke followed suit. When Sasuke reached the surface he saw Naruto swimming for shore. The sky was dark, the sun had already set. Sasuke swam for shore after Naruto. Naruto sat in the shallow water, waiting for Sasuke. Sasuke walked up to him, seeing the water run off of Naruto's smiling face. Sasuke's heart beat faster as he came closer.

Naruto's body was glistening in the faint light from the stars. _**He's so child like, so independent and free, **_Sasuke thought as he knelt infront of Naruto. Naruto smiled. Sasuke's heart beat faster and faster. It actually hurt it was beating so hard. Sasuke jumped forward, pushing Naruto into the wet sand beneath him. Sasuke held down Naruto's arms and he leaned down. Sasuke sat over Naruto's waist. Leaning down, Sasuke could feel Naruto's heart beat and his chest rising and falling in rapid breaths. "S-Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

Naruto could feel water dripping from Sasuke onto him self. Sasuke's face was so close to his own, and Naruto could feel Sasuke's warm breath on his face. Naruto blushed and looked up at his arms. Sasuke had pinned them above his head. A warm kiss on his neck made Naruto gasp. He glanced over and saw that Sasuke was staring at him. Sasuke moved down Naruto's neck, over his bandaging. He closed his eyes and kissed lower along Naruto's collarbone. Sasuke could feel Naruto arch his back slightly and moan softly.

Sasuke smiled and moved upwards again. He kissed Naruto, letting one of his hands go. Sasuke placed his free hand on the back of Naruto's neck and pulled closer. Sasuke could feel Naruto's free hand sliding around his back. Naruto pulled down and Sasuke fell softly onto Naruto. They kept kissing as the moon rose higher in the sky. Naruto could feel the tide lapping softly at his feet and traveling up his legs. The water reached his lower back then slowly shrank back, only to be forced up by another wave again.

"I don't want to hear your lame excuse today sensei," Naruto said grumpily as Kakashi appeared on the bridge. Kakashi smiled, so it seemed, and clapped his hands together, "Taijutsu again today kids," he said happily. Sakura groaned; she wasn't that great at taijutsu. Sasuke was leaning back on his normal place on the railing and was silent. Naruto threw his fist in the air and shouted, "Yeah! At this rate I'll beat Lee really soon! Believe it!" then Naruto paused and blushed slightly. He remembered his kiss with Sasuke and Sasuke had used Naruto's 'Believe it' line. Naruto laughed softly when Sakura asked him why his face was red.

"Nothing, it's nothing," he said, rubbing his head and smiling. The training started and Sakura was making Naruto run laps around some trees. Sasuke and Kakashi were in the tree tops, practicing balance and shuriken throwing. Naruto had taken off his coat and was panting heavily, "Come on, Naruto! You've only done 100 laps! You can't be tired, you have 300 more to go!" Sakura called. "300?! Are you serious? This is murder!" Naruto panted.

Sasuke threw a few kunai at Kakashi and dodged the ones thrown at him. He jumped forwards at Kakashi with a loud yell. Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke and Sasuke paused. He heard Kakashi behind him and was about to turn when he felt a shuriken dig itself into his back. His eyes widened and he bent over, coughing. Sasuke grew dizzy and he fell. He fell from the 30 foot tree and was rushing towards the ground below him. Sakura gasped as she looked up.

Naruto looked up and saw the falling Sasuke. "Sasuke!" he called. He ran forwards, trying to get him before he hit the ground. Naruto reached the area just in time and Sasuke fell into him. Naruto was knocked back but he held onto Sasuke. Sakura, sure that Sasuke was safe, looked up at Kakashi. He was just standing there and almost looked annoyed. Naruto was knocked out from the force of the hit. He was lying in the dirt, an arm around Sasuke. Sasuke looked up weakly. Seeing Naruto's unconscious face he gasped and pushed himself up.

"Naruto!" he said, patting the boys' cheek. He had forgotten completely about the shuriken in his back. Sasuke leaned forward over Naruto and brushed his hair away from his face. Naruto's eyes opened slowly, blinking quickly and trying to focus. "Sas-Sasuke?" Naruto muttered. Sakura ran towards the boys. She knelt down to Naruto and placed her hand over his forehead. He glanced up at her green eyes and smiled, "I'm ok, Sakura-Chan. Thanks," he said quietly. He pushed her away and sat up slowly, holding his head in his hands. "Ow," he muttered.

Sasuke cupped Naruto's cheek in his hand and tilted his face upwards, "You sure you're ok?" he asked, worry in his black eyes. Naruto smiled and nodded, "As long as you're ok, so am I," he said happily. Naruto stood up and brushed the dirt from himself. Sasuke tried standing up, but then the pain of the shuriken in his back flared through his body. Sasuke gasped and fell to his knees. "Sasuke?" Naruto asked, looking down. He noticed the shuriken in his back and scowled. He looked up into the tree tops at their sensei. He was still standing there, unmoving. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Injuring your own students isn't right!" he shouted.

Sakura knelt down to Sasuke and pulled out the shuriken. He bit his lip and it bled slowly. "I'm sorry Sasuke, it had to come out," she said, placing her glowing hands over the wound. He nodded and waited for her to finish healing him. She dropped her hands then reached for Sasuke, helping him up. Hesitantly he let her help him. He leaned on her shoulder slightly as he stood. Naruto turned back to Sasuke, worry written on his face. "I'm fine, Naruto. Don't worry about me. I got distracted, so it's my fault I got hurt," Sasuke said shortly. He wiped away the stream of blood from his lip.

Kakashi jumped down beside the three companions and grabbed Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened as his feet left the ground. Kakashi was picking him up by the collar of his shirt and lifting him higher and higher. "Sensei? What are you doing?" Naruto asked, trying to pull away from the masked ninja. Naruto was slammed against a tree and he slumped to the ground. Kakashi turned to face Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura gasped and started backing away. Sasuke stood still, his face showing no emotions.

"Kakashi-Sensei, what's going on? You never do this!" Sakura asked shakily. Sasuke turned a little to see her face, "This isn't our sensei, Sakura," he said quietly. Sakura gave him a confused look. "It's a training post, made to move by a jutsu. Our real sensei probably has other things to do or is testing us on how we can react to a surprise attack," he explained. Sakura nodded that she understood and ran forward, gloves on and fists raised. She threw her weight forward at the puppet and was thrown to the ground. Naruto jumped on the puppet from behind and attacked it with a kunai. "This is for hurting my friends!" he cried out. The kunai struck several critical areas. The temples, the upper back, the rib cage and the stomach. The puppet collapsed to the ground. Naruto lay on the puppet, panting.

Sakura went to Naruto and hugged him, "Great job Naruto! You beat it!" she smiled. Naruto blushed, "Heh, thanks Sakura-Chan. It wasn't all that hard, you just gotta take him by surprise," he said, sitting up. The puppets 'Kakashi' appearance faded away and Naruto found himself sitting on a normal wooden training post. He sighed and stood up slowly. "Well done, children. You defeated a very weak enemy. The next one will be much harder," said Kakashi from the tree tops.

Sasuke glared up at Kakashi. "I'm proud of Naruto though. He waited till it was distracted and then attacked the vital organs. Good job, Naruto," Kakashi said, jumping down beside the group. Naruto rested his arms behind his head and smiled. "Nah, it was nothing," he said laughing. "Well, in any case. Good job for keeping your cool guys. Training is done for today," Kakashi finished. He vanished in a puff of smoke. Sakura sighed and started walking home, "Later guys. Don't kill eachother while I'm gone," she said quietly.

When the coast was clear and no one was around, Sasuke turned to Naruto, a nasty look in his eyes. Naruto was still grinning. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and walked further into the forest. "Sasuke? What's wrong?" Naruto asked, tripping after Sasuke's fast pace. Sasuke stayed silent but he pulled Naruto after him. When they were a fair distance away from any clearing, Sasuke pulled Naruto infront of him and slammed him against a tree. Naruto closed his eyes in pain and scowled as he slumped to the ground. He looked up at Sasuke, "Sasuke? What the hell are you doing?" he asked. Naruto leaned forward on his hands and knees and looked up at Sasuke's pissed off face.

Sasuke reached down and grabbed Naruto's shirt front and pulled him up. Sasuke pinned Naruto against the tree and held his arms up. Naruto glared at Sasuke. "What are you doing?" he growled. Sasuke scowled at Naruto. "You saved me twice today," he said in a low, threatening voice. Naruto's eyes widened. "That's it? That's why you're mad?" he asked. "I'm normally the one saving your butt, not the other way around," Sasuke said, still keeping Naruto pinned. Naruto laughed, "Jeezz, give it a rest. Out of the countless times you saved me, can't I return the fav…" he was cut off by Sasuke's kiss. Sasuke moved closer to Naruto and pressed his body against Naruto's. Sasuke pressed harder on Naruto and deepened the kiss. Naruto closed his eyes and pushed back. Naruto's heart beat quickened and so did Sasuke's.

Sasuke freed one of Naruto's hands, but kept his own against the tree for support. Naruto rested his free hand on Sasuke's chest and grabbed his shirt. Sasuke pulled away from the kiss but kept his face close to Naruto's. Keeping his eyes closed, Sasuke whispered, "Naruto, I had to thank you." Sasuke's heart was pounding in his chest when he opened his eyes half way. Naruto's face was red and he was looking at Sasuke with a shocked expression. Sasuke grinned and started pulling away. "No," Naruto whispered.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt in both hands and pulled him closer. Naruto closed his eyes and leaned forward. Sasuke smiled and leaned in. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hands and pinned them up against the tree again. Sasuke moved down Naruto's neck, gently brushing his lips over Naruto's neck muscles and the bandages. Naruto moaned softly, closing his eyes tighter. Naruto clenched his hands into fists and panted softly as Sasuke moved along his collarbone, gently teasing him. Sasuke gently kissed the base of Naruto's neck and then blew softly. The cool air ran over Naruto's shoulder and it sent an exciting shiver down his spine.

Naruto's heart rate was incredibly fast and he moaned as Sasuke let one of his hands go. Sasuke's free hand slid up under Naruto's shirt. His cool hand wrapped around Naruto's waist. Sasuke released Naruto's other hand and pulled up on Naruto's shirt, taking it off completely. Naruto was panting a little harder now as he did the same with Sasuke, pulling up on his shirt. Sasuke raised his arms and let Naruto pull it off. Sasuke immediately grabbed Naruto's face in his hands and pulled him closer, kissing him.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrists and pulled them down, away from his face. Sasuke opened his eyes slightly as he pulled away from Naruto. Naruto was looking down at the ground, face red and heart pounding. "Naruto?" Sasuke asked softly. Naruto's blush deepened as he heard Sasuke's voice. "S-Sasuke…what are we doing?" Naruto asked softly, almost whispering. Sasuke looked down at Naruto, confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. Naruto sat down on the ground and leaned against the tree. "What are we doing? What does all of this mean?" he asked. Sasuke knelt down infront of the boy and looked into his wide blue eyes. "Naruto, it should be obvious what this means. And it should be obvious what we are doing," Sasuke said, leaning forward.

"Well then, why?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head, he knew this was coming. Sasuke reached past Naruto for his shirt and stood up. "Sasuke?" Naruto asked worriedly. "It's alright Naruto. Nevermind, you know what you want, and I know what I want. Clearly, what you want isn't me," he said, walking away back to Konoha. He slid his shirt on and never looked back. "Sasuke!" Naruto called. Sasuke paused and glanced over his shoulder. Naruto was standing now, one arm stretched out towards Sasuke. Tears started running down Naruto's face as Sasuke turned away and kept walking, hands stuffed in his pockets.

_**What happened? What went wrong?**_ They both thought. Sasuke never showed affection to anyone else and Naruto was open to love anyone, but inside, he still truly belonged to Sasuke, so why was he letting him go? Naruto wiped his eyes and grabbed his shirt. Slipping it on, he ran after Sasuke. "Sasuke!" he called again. Sasuke kept walking, head bowed and shoulders sagging. Naruto tackled Sasuke down and leaned on his chest, panting.

Angrily, Sasuke pushed Naruto off. "Shove off. You're acting like Sakura!" he said annoyed. Naruto hesitated but then hugged Sasuke tighter, refusing to let him go. Sasuke tried pulling away from Naruto, pushing and pulling but the boy just wouldn't let go. "Naruto…" he began. He was starting to get a stinging feeling in his eyes. "Sasuke, I know what I want," Naruto whispered. Sasuke paused and looked down. Naruto looked up at Sasuke with wet eyes. He pushed himself up and sat on top of Sasuke then leaned down. Naruto pressed his lips against Sasuke's. He felt Sasuke starting to push him away so Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arms and pinned them above his head, like Sasuke had done to Naruto many times.

Sasuke grunted in shock as the dominant positions had been switched. Naruto now took control. Naruto wanted to return the favor to Sasuke. Naruto closed his eyes and kissed underneath Sasuke's jaw. Naruto could feel Sasuke stiffen up and gasp slightly. Naruto smiled as he kissed lower on Sasuke's neck, breathing gently on his skin. Sasuke tried to hold back a moan but it didn't work. Naruto moved down further onto Sasuke's chest. Sasuke could feel Naruto trying his best to make him happy and Sasuke loved him for that. "Naruto," Sasuke said quietly. Naruto looked up at Sasuke.

Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto and grabbed his arms. Sasuke flipped Naruto over and sat on his stomach. Naruto was looking up with shock and confusion on his face. Sasuke was shaking with excitement; Naruto had done well to make Sasuke feel good. "Sasuke, please don't let go," Naruto muttered, tears in his eyes. Sasuke's heart jolted at Naruto's sad face. Sasuke reached down towards Naruto's waist and pulled his shirt up again. Naruto smiled and helped Sasuke take off his shirt. "I won't ever let you go, Naruto," Sasuke said quietly, panting and heart racing with excitement. "You sure?" Naruto asked, looking up pleadingly into Sasuke's face, panting softly. "Believe it," Sasuke muttered. Then he covered Naruto's mouth with his.

The sky was dark by the time the two left their spot. Sasuke kissed Naruto swiftly before heading home. Blushing, Naruto headed home, contemplating what had happened. He smiled and thought, _**we really are best friends now, aren't we?**_ He went home, heart filled with hope and a longing for the night to pass by quickly. So he could see the suns rays hit Sasuke's face and the wind blow his hair from his face. Naruto's heart fluttered giddily as he thought of Sasuke's smile and the way he made Naruto happy.

Naruto woke up to his window sliding open. He sat up and looked around quickly, "Who's there?" he asked loudly. His eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw Sasuke sitting on the edge of his bed. "Sasuke?" he asked, starting to get up. Sasuke turned to him and pushed him back in bed. "Hush," he whispered. Sasuke crawled under the covers with Naruto and wrapped his arms around his blond companion as he closed his onyx eyes and fell asleep. Naruto lay there in Sasuke's warm grip and smiled. He felt victorious that he had won out over Sakura. Naruto drifted off to sleep, dreaming of things that could come to be.


End file.
